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How to Unlock Samsung Galaxy S3 for Roaming Power

If you own a carrier locked Samsung Galaxy S3, then I’m sure you might have thought about what it would be like to use multiple carriers on your phone. A locked Android phone can cause you lots of problems, especially if you’re travelling abroad. If you feel that you made a mistake getting a carrier locked Galaxy S3, then continue reading to find out how you can fix this mistake by learning how to unlock Samsung Galaxy S3. All the methods mentioned below are paid ways to unlock your phone, but they’re worth the money as you’ll be able to use your phone with any carrier.

Why Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S3?

If you’re still not sure on whether you should spend money to unlock your Galaxy S3, then these factors might help you make up your mind.

Save money by avoiding your carrier’s expensive packages. If you’re tired of your carrier’s expensive packages, then you’ll be able to switch to a cheaper carrier after unlocking your phone.

Use your phone with almost any carrier around the world. If you travel often, then unlocking your phone can be really helpful.

Get a better value when selling your phone. As the potential buyer of your phone will be able to use the phone with any carrier, your phone’s resale value will increase.

Prerequisite

While unlocking isn’t as complicated as the risky rooting process, you should still create a backup of all your important files. In order to back up your phone, you can use a third-party app from the Google Play Store or your phone’s default backup feature.

If you don’t know about any good backup apps, then you can check out our list of the ten best backup apps. Also feel free to download the Galaxy S3 manual in order to find out more on how your phone works.

Method 1: Asking Your Carrier

This is the most effective and reliable method for unlocking your Samsung Galaxy as you won’t be using any third-party service. Most carriers let users unlock their phones by charging a fee.

Your carrier is the most reliable source for an unlock code and even if it costs slightly more than a third-party service, it is worth the money because of the greater reliability factor. The way this works is that your carrier will provide you a code and you’ll need to enter that code in your phone to unlock it.

Step 1

Dial *#06# in your phone’s dialer app to find out your IMEI number. Write this number down. You can also find the IMEI number on the box of your phone.

Step 2

Call up the customer service number of your carrier. For example, if you’re using T-Mobile, call the customer service number of T-Mobile.

Step 3

Tell the representative that you need an unlock code for unlocking your Samsung Galaxy S3.

Step 4

Give the representative your phone’s IMEI number that you wrote down earlier. You might also need to give other information, such as your email ID and name.

Step 5

Make the payment for the unlock code and you should receive it through an email or via SMS. The delivery time will depend on your carrier.

Step 6

After receiving the unlock code, remove the current SIM card from your phone and place any other SIM card in your phone. You should now see a popup asking for the unlock code. Enter the unlock code that you got from the carrier. That’s it! You have successfully unlocked your Samsung Galaxy S3.

Method 2: Unlock your Galaxy S3

This method focuses on using a third-party app from the Google Play Store to unlock your Galaxy S3. This works exactly like other third-party websites that specialize in providing mobile unlock codes. The app is based on the unlockunit.com website, but instead of visiting the actual website, you can purchase the code from within the app.

Step 1

Download and install the Unlock your Galaxy S3 app on your phone. You can get the app through the Google Play button below.

Step 2

Open the dialer app and dial *#06# to find out your IMEI number. Write this number down.

Step 3

Launch the app and tap on Get Started.

Step 4

Enter the details of your phone by selecting Samsung as the manufacturer and Galaxy S3 as the phone model from the drop down menus. Select your network and country and type in your email ID. Tap on the Check availability and price button.

Step 5

You’ll now see different delivery times with different prices. Select your preferred delivery time and type in the IMEI number that you wrote down earlier in the box below Phone details. Check the Terms and Conditions option and tap on Proceed to payment.

Step 6

Select your preferred payment method and make the payment. After making the payment, you’ll get a Thank you for your order message. You’ll receive the unlock code within the delivery time that you selected.

Step 7

Remove your carrier’s SIM card and place any other SIM card in your phone. Enter the unlock code that you received through the email. That’s it!

Method 3: Sim-Unlock.net

This last method focuses on using a third-party website for unlocking your Galaxy S3. This is similar to Method 2, but instead of using an app, you’ll need to purchase the code from the Sim-Unlock.net website.

Sim-Unlock.net is one of the most popular unlocking websites and it supports phones from some of the leading manufacturers, including Samsung, LG and HTC. The website is known for its speedy delivery times and you might be able to get an unlock code within a day.

Step 1

Go to the Sim-Unlock.net website from your browser and select Samsung.

Step 2

Select Samsung Galaxy S3 from the list of phones and click on the UNLOCK Samsung Galaxy S3 button.

Step 3

You’ll now see different codes for different carriers. Select the code for the carrier that you’re using on your Galaxy S3 by clicking on the ORDER button.

Step 4

Dial *#06# in the dialer app to find out your IMEI number and write this number down.

Step 5

Make sure that Galaxy S3 is selected in the dropdown menu below Select Model. Type in your phone’s IMEI number in the box below Enter IMEI number. Click on the Make an order button.

Step 6

Enter your name, email address and phone number. Click on the Make an order button.

Step 7

Select your preferred payment method and make the payment. After making the payment, your order will be processed and you’ll receive the unlock code through an email within the estimated delivery time.

Step 8

Remove your carrier’s SIM card from the phone and insert any other SIM card. Type in the unlock code that you received through the email. That’s it!

Conclusion

If you want to make the most out of your Galaxy S3, then you should definitely consider learning how to unlock Samsung Galaxy S3. Not only will you be able to use your phone around the world with most carriers, but you’ll also be able to avoid your carrier’s costly packages. While all the methods mentioned above are paid, they are worth the money as your phone will truly become yours after the unlocking process. Method 1 is the most reliable method for unlocking your Galaxy S3. If, however, your carrier doesn’t have an unlock code for your device or if you feel it is costly, then Method 2 and Method 3 are the next best alternatives. Let us know in the comments section if you have any questions. What’s

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Comments (8)

OK personally I think this blog post is very engrossing mostly because I am using Odin 3.07. Specifically what I liked more than anything else in this article is My PDA Button is always in disabled state. Everybody here have come to the final decision this is some issue when we use Odin 3.07 with Windows 8.1. Can you assist?.

Well, I used Odin on my Windows 8.1 laptop a while back and it seemed fine. If by disabling you mean the PDA button cannot be pressed, then I think there might be a connection issue. Try uninstalling and resinstalling the Samsung drivers. If it still doesn’t work, try the latest Odin version.

I have a galaxys3. I was emailed the carrier unlock code from T-Mobile the code is unsuccessful. The phone will work with a t mobile simcard…so nothing is wrong with phone. I have read that the software version could be the problem. I don’t want to root the phone

Sgh-t99
Android version 4.3

Is there something I can do to downgrade to get carrier unlock code to work? Or should I just exchange the phone?